Forty learners based in four barangays in Miagao town, Iloilo graduated from the School-on-the-Air (SOA) Program on Integrated Pest Management during a ceremony held at the CFOS AV Hall, University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Miagao campus on May 23.
The two-month SOA activity was organized by Communication and Media Studies (CMS) students enrolled in CMS 110 (Development Communication), under Prof. Jude Vincent Parcon, and DYUP 102.7 FM, in partnership with the Agricultural Training Institute of (ATI) of the Department of Agriculture - Western Visayas.
The learners are based in barangays Bagumbayan, Dawog, Indag-an, and Malagyan, which are areas reached by DYUP 102.7 FM, the community radio station under the Division of Humanities.
A total of 19 episodes were aired over DYUP 102.7 FM for the SOA activity from March to May. The episodes were aired three times a week, with daily replays in the afternoon.
A variety of topics were highlighted in the episodes such as the course introduction, rice situation in the region, Rice Tariffication Law, and rice pests and management, among others. Quizzes were then administered every week.
Present at the graduation ceremony and culminating activity along with Prof. Parcon were ATI-6 Center Director Mary Ann Ramos, DYUP Station Manager Prof. Mary Babbeth Vargas, Asst. Prof. Katherine Valencia, and Engr. Joe Albert Abong.
Ramos, in her keynote speech, noted how radio is still an important medium of communication despite technological advances. She also urged the graduates to practice what they have learned during the activity.
Meanwhile, aside from graduating, students who performed well during the activity were given special awards.
